Clock



B. LERMAN Oct. 10, 1950 CLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1949Im/ntor Ben Lerman '1'llll I [III] III B. LERMAN Oct. 10, 1950 CLOCK 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 29, 1949 Inventor Ben Lerman Patented Oct. 10,1950 I CLOCK Ben Lerman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Mastercrafters Clock& Radio Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationDecember 29, 1949, Serial No. 135,605

11 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in clocks and more particularly toan electrically driven clock including a swing action movement effectiveto swing a novel universally mounted oscillatably rotatable ornamentalpendulum in a plane perpendicular to the face of the clock.

A clock of the general character of the kind disclosed herein isdisclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 46,250,filed August 26, 1948, now Patent No. 2,507,026, granted May 9, 1950.The clock shown in that disclosure includes a pendulum swingable in aplane perpendicular to the plane of the clock face and it lacks means toimpart animation to the figurine or other object which may beincorporated in the pendulum structure. The present invention isconcerned with the provision of means to effect animation without anyappreciable increase in labor or material costs and without theinclusion of any additional mechanism. This is accomplished by providingthe clock with novel structural means effective to cause a universallysuspended. pendulum to oscillatably rotate either to the right or to theleft of its normal straight line path while swinging. It is, therefore,an object of the present invention to provide, in combination with aclock, a universally suspended or free swinging pendulum and novel meansto deflect said pendulum out of its normal path of travel while it isswinging.

Another object is to provide a novel swing action and suspension meansfor a pendulum.

Another object is to provide a clock housing embodying novel means toeffect deflection of a, pendulum swinging therein.

Another object is to provide a clock housing with a pendulum receivingrecess or chamber and a grilled cover detachably secured over saidchamber.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in theannexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structuredesigned to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is tobe understood that the invention is not confined to the exact featuresshown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a clock embodying the features ofthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central transverse sectional view, takensubstantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on line 3-3of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the clock mechanism and rockermeans, showing the latter and the pendulum suspended therefrom in frontelevation.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the recess cover or grill.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view illustrating the means for detachablysecuring the upper margin of the cover to the housing.

Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional detail View, taken substantially online 1-1 of Fig. l.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the rocker and actuatingmeans.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the invention is illustrated asembodied in a clock generally indicated at H, which clock includes ahousing 12 having a face I3 at its upper end and conventional hands l4rotatable about an axis 5. The housing extends downwardly from the faceII and includes a base IS. The front wall of the housing between thebase [6 and the face [3 may be formed substantially concave inhorizontal section or may be recessed in any suitable manner to define achamber having a semi-circular back wall II. It is preferred that thehousing ll be molded or otherwise formed so that its upper portion issubstantially hollow to receive a conventional clock mechanism,generally indicated at I8, behind the face l3. Inasmuch as the clockmechanism constitutes no part of the present invention, it is notillustrated in detail. It is to be noted, however, that said mechanismis of a kind that may be operated by an electric motor I9 having a shaft2| suitably provided with a Worm gear 22 having an operative connectionwith said clock mechanism.

The recessed lower portion of the clock housing, defined in part by thesemi-circular wall Ii, contains suitable ornamental means such as, forexample, a pendulum including a representation 7 of a bird 23 or otherfigurine suitably positioned housing recess.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 8, a link 28 has its lower end engagedin the eyelet 21 and its upper end is freely engaged at 29 in the lowermargin of a rocker 3!. The rocker 3| comprises a sheet of shaperetaining material, such as sheet steel or the like, and it issubstantially rectangular in shape. The medial longitudinal area,

thereof is suitably offset, as illustrated, to provide bearing sleeves32 to freely receive a pintle pin 33, the ends of which project beyondthe ends of the rocker 3|. A plate 34, which may constitute a part ofone of the conventional wall plates of the clock mechanism l8, or whichmay be suitably attached thereto in any conventional manner, extendsbelow the clock mechanism and includes a horizontally extending portion35. This portion has a pair of forwardly extending aligned ears 36, eachof which is apertured to receive therethrough a projecting end of thepintle pin 33. In this manner, the rocket 3| is mounted for freeoscillatable rotation about a horizontal axis. It should be apparent atthis time that the pendulum 24 is universally suspended from the rocker3| and that any rocking motion imparted to the rocker 3| is transmittedto the pendulum 24 to thereby cause said pendulum to swing in a planeperpendicular to the plane of the clock face.

The means provided to rock the rocker 3| is best illustrated in Figs. 4and 8. As shown, a shaft 37 is suitably journalled in any conventionalmanner on the plate 34 of clock mechanism l8. This shaft extendsdownwardly angularly sufficiently to locate its upper extremity close tothe motor shaft 2! while its lower end is disposed outwardly of one endof the rocker 3|. A worm gear 38 fixed on the upper end of said shaft isin constant mesh with the worm gear 22 on motor shaft 2|. The lower endof said shaft carries a toothed element 39 which normally has surfacecontact with an arm 4| formed integrally with and extending laterallybeyond one end of the rocker 3|. The shaft assembly affords means forrotating the shaft 3'5 through direct connection with the motor shaft2|. Rotation imparted to the shaft 3'! causes the toothed element torotate and, because the lateral extension 4| of the rocker is in contacttherewith, said rocker is oscillatably rotated about its pivot 33. Thisoscillatable rotation is imparted to the pendulum 24 so as to cause itto swing to and fro in regular sequence. Obviously, the drive connectionis so constructed that operation of the clock mechanism will not beimpaired by any obstruction preventing free swinging of the pendulum.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of means tocooperate with the free swinging pendulum 24 to divert said pendulumfrom its normal straight line path while swinging so as to therebyimpart animation to the bird representation or other figurine embodiedtherein. To this end, a cover 42 (Fig. is adapted to be mounted over thehousing recess within which the pendulum swings. This cover preferablyis formed by molding plastic material but it may be constructed of metalor other suitable material. The cover 42 is suitably shaped to presentthe appearance of a birdcage including horizontal arcuate rails 43 and44 and circumferentially spaced vertical bars 45 and 46. The bar 45 isin the present disclosure constructed differently than the bars 45. Thisbar 46 is located in direct alignment with the center of the birdrepresentation 23 and it is located with respect to the pendulum 24 atsuch distance that when the pendulum is swung forwardly the forward-mostportion thereof, which in the present instance is the bill 4'5 of thebird representation, strikes said bar 46 and is deflected to one side orthe other thereof.

Deflection of the pendulum causes the same to oscillatably rotate aboutits universal mounting, at 28, to thereby create the impression ofanimation. In order to insure deflection of the pendulum when it strikesthe bar 46, the inside surface of said bar is substantially V-shaped, asat 48. It should be quite evident that the direction in which the birdrepresentation and pendulum may move upon striking the surface 48 isunpredictable. As a result, the pendulum may oscillatably rotate to theright or to the left of the bar 46 while continuing to swing in a planeperpendicular to the plane of the clock face. It should be understoodthat some other irregular surface than bar 46 may be employed to causedisplacement of the swinging pendulum from its straight line path.

It is preferred that the cover or grill 42 be removably secured to theclock housing |2. Accordingly, the ends of the horizontal arcuate rail43 are provided with oppositely extending lugs 5|, each of which isadapted to engage in a recess 52 (Fig. 7) on the inside face of thehousing recess adjacent the base It thereof. The upper or domed portion53 of the grill 42 also is provided with an upstanding lug 54 engageablebehind the front wall portion 55 (Fig. 6) of the housing to therebyretain the grill 42 firmly in position.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed inthe accompanying drawings and described in detail in the foregoingspecification, it should be understood that the invention is capable ofembodying various modifications in its construction without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a clock having a face, the combination of, a free swingingpendulum, means to swing said pendulum in a plane perpendicular to theplane of said face, and an irregular surface area on said clock in thepath of the pendulum, said surface area being impinged by said pendulumto cause the pendulum to oscillatably rotate while swinging.

2. In a clock of the character recited in claim 1, in which the clockincludes a housing having an open face portion within which the pendulumis located.

3. In a clock having a housing and a face in the upper portion thereof,the combination of, a free swinging pendulum, said housing having arecessed area below the face in which the pendulum is located, a grilloverlying said recessed area, and means to swing the pendulum in adirection to cause a portion thereof to strike the grill so as to causethe pendulum to be oscillatably rotated while swinging.

4. In a clock of the character recited in claim 3, in which the pendulumis representative of a swing having a, bird thereon.

5. In a clock of the character recited in claim 3, in which the pendulumis representative of a bird perched on a swing and the bird has a billwhich strikes the grill.

6. In a clock mechanism having a face, in combination, a motor for saidclock mechanism including a gear, a shaft having a pinion meshed withsaid gear for rotating the shaft during motor operation, an elementincluding radial proits pivot while swinging in a plane perpendicular tothe plane of said face.

'7. In a clock including a motor driven clock mechanism and a housingtherefor extending below said clock mechanism and having a cagelikefront wall on its lower portion, the combination of, a gear associatedwith and operable by said motor, a shaft having a pinion thereon meshedwith said gear for rotating the shaft during operation of the motor, acam-like element fixed on said shaft, a rocker operatively associatedwith the cam-like element adapted to be oscillatably rocked on an axisparallel to the front plane of the clock during operation of said motor,a pendulum, an articulate connection connecting said pendulum with therocker so that the pendulum may swing in a plane perpendicular to theplane of the housing while the rocker is being rocked, said pendulumdepending into the lower portion of the housing, and a figurine mountedfirmly on said pendulum, said figurine coacting with the cage-like frontwall during swinging movement of the pendulum to cause said pendulum andfigurine to oscillatably rotate.

8. In a clock of the character recited in claim 7, in which thecage-like front wall includes cam surfaces for engagement by thefigurine to divert the pendulum from a, straight line path.

9. In a clock of the character recited in claim 'I, in which thependulum is representative of a swing having a bird thereon.

10. A clock comprising, in combination, a clock mechanism, a motortherefor, a clock face, a free swinging pendulum depending below theclock face, means operatively connecting the pendulum with the motorwhereby the pendulum may be swung in a plane perpendicular to the planeof the clock face during operation of said motor, a housing for saidclock mechanism motor and pendulum, said housing including an open faceportion within which said pendulum is located, and a grill overlying theopen face portion, said grill including means to be impinged by thependulum to cause the pendulum to oscillatably 1'0- tate while it isswinging.

11. In combination with a clock mechanism, a rocker pivotally mounted atits ends in a horizontal plane, a link secured to and depending fromsaid rocker, a pendulum secured at its upper end to said link, meansactuated during operation of the clock mechanism engageable with therocker to impart rocking motion to said rocker, and an obstruction inthe path of said pendulum efiective when impinged by said pendulum tocause the pendulum to oscillatably rotate while it is swinging.

BEN LERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 10,920 Hotchkiss Apr. 10,1888 180,138 Kroeber July 25, 1876 2,507,026 Lerman May 9, 1950

